Friday, July 17, 2009

It is strange that the movies I've watched lately don't truly fit in the realm of my favorite movie genre. But my sister who was visiting for a brief period specifically had one request - I accompany her to see magic unfold on screen. So it was night filled with spells, potions and sorcery galore as we watched the latest installment of the Harry Potter franchise. Of course, admittedly I haven't read any of J.K Rowlings books but surprisingly though I have watched all of the movie adaptations, purely to be entertained.

Main draw for me is Alan Rickman. I've been a long time fan of this talented British actor whose portrayal of Professor Snape is brilliant in every sense of the word. Professor Snape is a man of few words yet he eloquently delivers his lines with steely flair and aplomb. Perfectly combined with a somber wardrobe that lacks any fashion sense, his icy gaze can melt a lesser mortal. It was interesting for me to note that the Half Blood Prince in the title refers to him. A little bit trivia my sister whispered to me since I am totally clueless about the background of the numerous characters that keep popping in and out in Hogwarts.

The set designs depicting Hogwarts are all very grand and majestic in scale. Computer generated imagery at its best. My favorite part are the Quidditch game sequences. A very engrossing game that is well executed on the screen.

The good ensemble of renowned British actors like Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter still ably support the 3 main characters. Harry, Hermione and Ron have literally grown up right in front of our eyes. Their acting skills thankfully have also grown and they seem more relaxed in their performances. I've observed that Hermione is no longer the precociously irritating kid she was in the past movies/books. Kudos to Emma Watson for a subtle yet more mature performance.

Although the plot for the film had a dark theme with tragic consequences, it was the romantic angles which registered the most impact for me. It was realistic to watch the 3 main characters behaving as normal teenagers with puberty angst to the core.

OVerall the film had a good mix of action, cutesy romantic sequences and the ever present dark and somber yet quite intriguing storyline.

It is always exciting to watch a Harry Potter film for its masterful presentation of a matured sorcery tale. For a few hours, you can get lost in a world of sublime fantasy and wizardry. Time well spent, if you ask me!

2
popcorn buckets:

this is one fascinating movie and i even followed its story from its book up to its movie adaptation...this 6th installment of HP is one of the greatest adaptation i have seen so far... i can't say that it really is the greatest amongst the other adaptation they have released so far... i have to wait the last and final installment of HP until i come up to my verdict which is the best!!!